Silver Lining
by Midorima Kazunari
Summary: Without talking about it, Imayoshi and Mitobe have kept their relationship secret from their friends, but a misfortune for Team Japan - just weeks before their first Olympic game - makes them reconsider.


Dedicated to Sapphyre Lily who has been a great help to me, including beta-reading this story!

* * *

Imayoshi got off the train at just after six in the morning. He stopped at his favorite coffee shop, bought a pastry, and headed to the Aida Sports Complex to get in a workout before his first day of Olympic training camp.

The young guy at the front desk waved him by and he stored all his travel gear in his personal locker. He changed and headed out to the exercise floor with his MP3 player and the newest science fiction audiobook he and Mitobe had decided to read together.

After an hour trading back and forth between strength training and cardio work – specially designed by Aida-sama for his basketball demands – Hyūga-chan arrived. At that point, he showered and changed and by the time he was done, she was ready to go and he hitched a ride with her back to the training facility.

"How was your weekend?" she asked as they slipped into the car and back into a conversation they had often, given that she had become the assistant coach during his final year as an undergraduate.

"Very pleasant," he answered. "And yours?"

"Good, fine, I spent most of it studying video clips of our upcoming opponents. Some look difficult. How's Mitobe-kun? That article about Aomine that he wrote last month for _Above_ was fantastic! He continues to surprise me; he's such a good writer. Back in high school, he never mentioned it to us."

"Anythin' I should know about those teams?"

She sighed. Getting Imayoshi to talk about Mitobe was worse than getting Aomine to talk about anything other than basketball. Of the athletes she'd worked with – including her husband – Imayoshi was one of the least open about himself. From his very rarely seen eyes, to his exclusive phone number, to his spartan locker, the man played his cards as close to the chest as possible.

"Do you mind opening the locker room today, Imayoshi?" she asked, taking the key from around her neck as she pulled into the assistant coach parking spot next to the practice gym.

"Not a problem, Riko-chan," he said, sipping the coffee he'd stolen from her office back at the Sports Complex.

"Aomine didn't beat us here today?" she asked, looking around the empty parking lot.

Imayoshi's smiled blossomed across his face. "Didn'tcha know? His favorite Idol has a new book out today. The stores didn't open 'til at least eight."

She laughed. "Aomine is so different from back in the day, but at least it's good to know somethings never change."

* * *

The light flickered in the hallway leading from the gym to the locker room, but Imayoshi ignored it and answered Mitobe's last text that had simply said: [?]

[Heading to the locker room now. Riko asked after you.]

[:)]

As he went to put the key in, the door swung open. He hesitated, putting his hand into the darkness to find the light. He took one step in and as the light came up, his eyes flew wide open and he stopped mid-step.

It was like… a natural disaster had happened within the confines of the four walls. Water pooled on the floor from the running, and overflowing, sink. Locker doors hung uselessly from their hinges and there was clothing everywhere. A partial photograph of a very familiar face lay ruined on the floor. _Rin,_ he thought.

"Move," Aomine barked, not looking up from his Idol book. He pushed passed Imayoshi and stumbled over an upturned chair.

"What the hell?" he said, finally looking up as he heard the distinct sound of the soles of his favorite sneakers splash into a puddle.

"I think you'd better call your friends, Aomine," Imayoshi said with a bit of a quiver in his voice. He coughed and continued, correcting the weakness. "I might be wrong, but this is what people in your line of work call a crime scene, correct?"

"Shit," he snarled, shoving the book at Imayoshi as he snapped open his phone. After a beat he continued in a low, polite growl, "Yes, this is Patrol Officer Aomine. I have a breaking and entry, vandalism, and possible robbery to report at the Men's Olympic Basketball Team gym." He paused and listened.

"No, unfortunately I cannot respond, as I am personally involved. Yes, alright, I'll preserve the scene until an inspector arrives," he answered the voice on the other side, while gesturing at Imayoshi with his hand, waving the stunned man back.

When he finished with the call, Aomine looked back into the room and shook his head. He was used to seeing such things outside of his precious basketball world, but not inside it, but perhaps the worst part was seeing the usually unflappable Imayoshi so utterly lost. Aomine fell back on his training, though, "Hey, Imayoshi, go catch the rest of the team as they come in and have them go straight to the court."

"What?" Imayoshi's attention suddenly snapped back to reality.

"Intercept the team, we don't want to upset them by seeing this. Practice as usual, and I'll join you as soon as I can."

* * *

Practice began even though Aomine wasn't present in body and Imayoshi was missing in spirit.

"It must be pretty bad," Kagami remarked to Mibuchi as they worked on drills. "Just look at Imayoshi's expression."

"I've rarely seen his eyes; it's disturbing to say the least. Do you think someone died in our locker room?"

Imayoshi heard none of this as he sat on the bench, phone in hand, willing a reply to appear with his eyes open enough for anyone to see the panic in them.

The message he'd sent twenty-two minutes ago (and counting) sat unanswered on his screen and every time the phone timed-out and darkened he turned it back on, draining the already fading battery.

[Are you ok?] he'd asked before heading out to the court for practice and when he'd gotten no reply in the first few seconds, he'd excused himself without comment.

Finally, at twenty-six minutes his phone vibrated. [Yeah. Why?] followed closely by a second text. [Are you ok?]

He exhaled loudly and turned away from the court, his eyelids falling comfortably shut.

[Someone broke in and tore up our locker room. I know it's stupid, but I had this dread that something was wrong with you after seeing the picture of us from my undergraduate graduation ceremony was on the floor, torn to shreds. It made me uneasy.]

[Getting sentimental on me all of a sudden?] came the teasing reply.

[More like superstitious.] His fingers felt sluggish as he typed, almost as if they were too big for the buttons suddenly.

[Get your butt back to practice. I'm fine. I'll head to Tokyo after lunch and we'll have dinner together tonight at Irokawa – your treat – that'll make you feel better.]

[You hate eel.]

[I don't hate it; eel's just not my favorite, but it is yours and it sounds like you need some comfort food tonight.] Imayoshi chuckled at the reply. He'd said the same thing to Mitobe a hundred times after the other man had moved out on his own in Osaka.

[You're all the comfort I need. Let's go somewhere we both enjoy. How that tempura place we both like?]

[Good compromise. I haven't been there in years. Meet you there or the University?]

[There. Just be careful.]

[I will. You too.]

The phone fell silent for a few moments and as he was about to get up to join practice, it vibrated again. The text had no words, just an icon for a photograph. He downloaded it and the destroyed photo was once again whole.

* * *

Imayoshi pulled his warm-up pants over his shorts and zipped his jacket. Normally by this time he'd have showered and changed into his street clothes and headed out to his internship, but he'd called in sick today at the behest of the investigators at the scene of the crime. He headed to the bench and sat with his teammates as the head coach conferred with Hyūga-chan and Aomine. He didn't have long to wait.

"We're going to be let into the locker room now so that we can clean up and figure out if anything is missing," she told them. "It's not pretty, or glamorous work, but we need to do this as a team to heal our loss and move on."

Imayoshi got up without delay and was the first one through the door. He bent and retrieved the half photograph, shoving the crumpled image into his pocket before the others got through the door.

Kagami let out a long, low whistle as he came through next. Mibuchi hesitated at the door, turning up his nose at the smell. Miyaji panted as he strode into the room, and slammed his broken locker closed with enough force that the door fell to the floor.

"Don't take your anger out on things," Hyūga-chan shouted. "We're all angry."

"They didn't do this to your things!"

"No, but they did it to _my_ players and _my_ family."

Miyaji closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Murasakibara was the last of the first-string players to enter, his large frame seeming to sway at the damage. His eyes tracked over the snack wrappers on the floor, turning pale at the loss.

"Mine-chin has to bring these animals to justice," he said, righting a chair and sitting in it heavily.

"Kagami, is this your 29.5 sneaker?" Mibuchi asked, plucking a black on black Nike Zoom from on top of his locker."

"No, that's mine," Aomine sighed. "Bakagami wears Nike Air Jordan's. Does anyone see the other one?" Everyone searched, but no one saw it yet in the vast rubble.

"I think this is a sweater, can anyone identify it?" Kagami asked, holding out a dripping wet mass of over sodden wool using the handle of a broom.

"That was mine," Imayoshi replied quietly. "Where'd ya find it?"

"In the toilet."

"Throw it away," he sighed. "I can go back ta Ireland any old time and get another one."

"Oh, no," Hyūga-chan said. "That was from the conference you took last year on scholarship?"

"Yup, and my only souvenir from the trip. That damn thing cost a small fortune, but it was wonderful for keeping me warm during class."

"Whose shoe is this?" Murasakibara asked, bent over the small ASICS while dribbling crumbs from his snack bar onto the object in question. "It's very small."

"It looks like mine," Koganei said as he and the other second-string members arrived from cleaning the gym.

"Imayoshi, is this one of your photos?" Hyūga-chan asked. She handed him the second half of the photo he'd recovered part of earlier.

"I certainly hope no one else has my ugly face in their locker," he said, taking the tattered and wet paper. He balled it up and tossed it in the trash.

"Imayoshi, heads up, I found your prescription eye drops," Kagami called as he lobbed a small white bottle at him. He turned the uncapped and completely un-sterile bottle upside-down and squeezed. The plastic wheezed as three tiny bubbles erupted from the tip and popped. "You've got extra, right?"

"Back in Osaka. I left my everyday bottle on the bathroom sink this mornin'. Figures with my luck today."

"Rin still lives near your parents, right?" Koganei asked. "How about you ask him to mail –"

"I'll text him, but it may be too late. He was on his way to Tokyo for business today."

"Awesome," Koganei said, beaming. "Kagami, I'll call him and see if he wants to get together for dinner."

"That'll be great, I haven't seen him since last year," Kagami concurred.

The only one who noticed that Imayoshi's fake smile got larger and larger as they spoke was Murasakibara, but he just shrugged. "Let's go somewhere inexpensive. After all this cleaning, I'm hungry," he suggested, inviting himself along.

Imayoshi forced a groan back into the pit of his stomach. He wasn't in the mood for sharing, but they were Mitobe's friends.

* * *

At first there were only a few around the table inside the Maji Burger – Imayoshi, Mitobe, Kagami, Aomine, Murasakibara and Mibuchi – and all listened attentively as Hyūga-chan took up Mitobe's tablet and read the rough draft out loud:

 _On Monday morning the men's Olympic Basketball Team came into practice to find a nasty surprise._

 _"It was like a natural disaster had struck overnight," Imayoshi Shoichi, the twenty-three-year-old captain and point guard from Osaka told this reporter._

 _Instead of finding the locker room pristine like normal, they walked into an active crime scene._

 _Patrol Officer Aomine Daiki and the team's Power Forward from Tokyo said, "It was a cowardly act of vandalism with damages totaling over a million yen to both the property and personal possessions of the team. Thankfully, the video cameras outside the facility and locker room picked up the perpetrators. It's only a matter of time before we catch them."_

 _The team only has two weeks left before their first game of the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo in a bid to finally upset the undefeated United States 'Dream Team.' With two members of the Kiseki no Sedai – Midorima Shintarō and Akashi Seijūrō playing for the United States and Aomine Daiki and Murasakibara Atsushi on the home team, this epic match-up will draw huge crowds of basketball fans._

 _With today's incident, Team Japan not only lost property and peace of mind, but precious practice time as well. Will it put them behind?_

 _"It slowed us down, but it won't stop us!" Kagami Taiga, the team's most versatile player – moving from Center to Small Forward with the addition of Murasakibara last month – told me. "We always play as hard as we can and have fun doing it. I can't wait to play Midorima and Akashi with Team USA."_

"You wrote that on the train?" Mibuchi asked.

Mitobe nodded.

"You're amazing. You pieced that together from just a couple of quotes," Kagami said.

Mitobe shrugged, looking away.

"Gentlemen, I do believe you're embarrassin' him," Imayoshi scolded them from where he sat next to the blushing center of attention.

"Well," Mibuchi said, crossing his arms over his chest. "It would be better if you had a quote from the best shooting guard in Japan, but it was pretty good." He tried to pout, but the whole motion lost momentum when he began to laugh and flipped his hair, revealing pale skin as his sweater slipped off his shoulder.

"That's Mido-chin's title, don't get ahead of yourself."

"But he's a United States citizen now," he retorted and the tension of the morning burst like a cloud as laughter swept through the Maji Burger.

"I can't believe ya'll wanted ta eat this trash," Imayoshi complained. He watched as a growing number of people stood outside the restaurant, trying to snap pictures of the famous group inside.

[If it meets with everyone else's approval, I'll submit it now.] Mitobe texted, and a general murmur of approval went around the table as the phone moved from hand to hand. Mitobe took up his tablet and with one click, it went to every major sporting news outlet and the Olympic press services.

The door opened and Koganei came charging in with a handful of former Serin teammates including Junpei, Kuroko, and the Iron Heart, Kiyoshi Teppei.

"Rin!" Koganei shouted as he pushed Kagami out of the way. "I've missed you so much!"

Mitobe beamed back at him, standing to receive his best friend's hug. Imayoshi glared, his grin moving to epic fake proportions as everyone resettled on the bench to accommodate Koganei's presence between Kagami and Mitobe on his right, leaving him pressed against Aomine on his left.

As the two caught up, Imayoshi turned his attention to the wilted salad he'd ordered to meet his dietary goal of shedding at least ten pounds before the first game of the Olympics, ignoring the friendly banter.

"Stop pouting," Aomine whispered as he inhaled the fourth of the eight burgers laid out in front of him. "It's gross."

"I ain't pouting. I'm just uncomfortable."

"Sure, whatever you say, Captain."

He felt a hand touch his right knee and squeeze gently. He looked over his shoulder at Mitobe, who gave him a quick wink, before being dragged back into the conversation.

* * *

[What do you have against Koganei?] the text read.

As the gentle rock of the train sped them away from the gathering they'd just left, Imayoshi had been lulled into thinking that his full, contented feeling would last.

"I don't have anythin' against him…" He looked up at Mitobe, fake smile fading as he saw the real concern on his expressive face.

"Don'tcha remember me telling ya I was a narcissist all the way back when we first met? I don't like your eyes focused on other men."

Mitobe pursed his lips as one eyebrow flew up. _You're telling me –_

"Of course I'm not tellin' ya that ya have ta only look at me when I'm in the room, but, I'm human and even I am prone ta these pesky things called emotions."

 _He's my best friend,_ Mitobe sighed. _We've known each other since we were kids._

"I just… it pisses me off that he never acknowledges… us. I don't want everyone ta think we're just roommates anymore. I wanna tell Bat and Pacifist. It's gettin' harder and harder to keep this thing a secret and I'm not even sure why we're doin' it. When are ya gonna tell your friends about us?"

[I haven't told anyone. The only people who know are your parents.]

"I know that. So, are ya embarrassed? Or what's the deal?"

Mitobe launched off the seat, shaking his hands and head and closed the single step between them, putting his arms around Imayoshi's shoulders and pulling him close. He was shaking, badly, and Imayoshi's arms closed about his waist.

"I'm not angry, Rin, but I wanna stop this charade."

Mitobe nodded into his neck. He pulled back just enough to type a message one-handed.

[If I tell him, will you give him another chance?]

"I don't know if I can, but I'll try. It pisses me off that he broke your heart and he doesn't even know," he admitted, then looked away.

[You know I've been over that for years, right? He might have been my first crush, but you were the one who made me forget that.] He sent it, just as they pulled into the station, and Imayoshi read it as they walked off the train and down the stairs.

Imayoshi nodded, sighing. "I know, but that green-eyed demon called jealousy ain't a reasonable thing. Sometimes it eats at my gut when I see the closeness between the two of ya."

[I didn't know that.] Mitobe stops him, touching Imayoshi's sleeve.

"And ya wouldn't now, if ya hadn't pushed for an answer. I'm a grown man, I can deal with my treacherous thoughts because I _know_ you're not that kinda guy; ya won't betray me."

 _You're right,_ Mitobe nodded, the words as clear on his face as if he'd said them. [I don't throw my lot in with someone lightly.] Mitobe put his phone away and hitched his duffle bag higher on his shoulder and linked his arm with Imayoshi's.

* * *

Imayoshi stopped outside the gloomy, squat, four-story gray building. "Now, my landlady is a bit of an ogre," he began. "So, I'll go inside and let ya in through a window."

Mitobe's brows drew tighter and his entire posture radiated unease.

[Maybe we should just stay at a hotel.]

Imayoshi's real smile traded places with the fake one and he laughed. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself. Come on, she's fine with ya spendin' the night for a small additional fee, but you'll have ta wait until tomorrow for a shower at the gym. She's got a keypad code ta open the stalls and charges by the litre for water."

Confused, Mitobe stepped back.

"Really, Rin, I was kiddin' ya about the window. Come on."

When Mitobe still didn't move, Imayoshi flipped open the phone and showed him the texts between him and his landlady from the early afternoon.

[I got robbed today, so my guy is bringing up some things for me. Do you care if he sleeps in my room tonight?]

[You poor dear. Of course not, I'll just add another 5,000¥ to your bill. Use unit 219; it's a little bigger and have him use your water code as needed.]

Mitobe raised his eyebrows and nodded, before looking back at the building. He composed another text. [This is where you've lived all this time?]

"Yes, Rin, this is my home away from home. Come on, it doesn't get any better on the inside."

Imayoshi used his renter's code on the keypad to the left of the door marked 219 and pushed open the door with his toe. He turned on the light and stepped aside, allowing Mitobe to enter.

Putting his things down hesitantly, Mitobe saw a plume of dust move in his wake as he shuffled past Imayoshi into the claustrophobic space.

There were no personal touches, just a set of linens piled on a bare mattress, a desk at the end of the bed under a large window shuttered with broken blinds, and a sink barely large enough to wash one hand at a time, next to the door.

 _You live here?_

"I know, it's a shithole, but it's cheap enough that I can afford it on my team stipend and still come home on the weekends," Imayoshi answered the unspoken question.

 _Maybe you should just…_

"Don't even think it," Imayoshi warned. "Coming home ta ya is my mental health care. I won't have it any other way."

Mitobe ran a finger over the desk and it came away gray and chalky. He sighed, pushing his sleeves up to the ready.

"Don't bother, Rin. I only have this room for the week. It's first come first serve around here and I'll get whatever she assigns next week."

Mitobe's eyes widened in horror.

"Look, I spend as little time here as possible 'cause she'd charge for the air I breathe if she could figure out how ta bill for it," he said, watching Mitobe's disgust turn to annoyance. "I'll shower at the gym while we're at training camp this week and when I go back to real life after that, I'll have National Team practice in the morning – with a free shower again – internship in the afternoons, classes after dinner – which I eat in the cafeteria – and then I stay in the library until closin' usin' their free wi-fi. It all works out."

Mitobe nodded begrudgingly, but perched on the end of the bed, looking miserable.

"It's not that bad; come on, get up and I'll make the bed," he suggested. Mitobe got up and helped make the narrow bed.

"Tomorrow I'll treat ya ta some coffee and pastries on the way to the station."

[Can I stay and watch practice?]

"I don't see why not, but can you miss more work? You've already got those days off for the Olympics."

[Sho, remember that my boss is your dad. He told me to take as much time as you needed.]

Imayoshi chuckled. "Ah, nepotism. Alright, but text Riko-chan to clear it."

Imayoshi put two drops in each eye to make up for the lost mid-day dose and then the two changed out of their street clothes and climbed into the bed that was barely large enough for one, Mitobe covering Imayoshi like a blanket, before turning out the light.

The neon street sign flashed in between the broken blinds, advertising the newest single by Oldcodex: On Sale Now!

Mitobe snorted and shook his head against Imayoshi's shoulder.

"Yup," he said, "just another night in Tokyo.

* * *

In the morning, Mitobe treated Imayoshi to a quick and inexpensive French toast chicken, ham and cheese sandwich and coffee at the Mos Burger as a special treat after seeing what the other man had to endure each week.

When they arrived at the gym, over-tired from a restless night, and in desperate need of a shower, they found a media circus in front of the building. The Head Coach and Hyūga-chan stood before the throng of reporters answering rapid-fire questions.

"Who found the gym destroyed?" one reporter called out the loudest.

"Imayoshi, our captain and point guard," Hyūga-chan replied.

"Have there been any arrests?" came the next question.

"No, but the police have solid leads," Coach answered.

"Will this put the team behind in practice?"

"Of course not," Hyūga-chan fielded that one. "We'll be doing double today…"

"Come with me," Koganei said to Mitobe and Imayoshi, gesturing them to the side door. "We've officially closed practice today," he told them as he used Hyūga-chan's key lanyard to open doors usually unused. "Well, officially it's closed, but of course Mitobe will have the exclusive. After reading the article this morning, Coach decided that you'll be the voice of Team Japan from now on."

Mitobe stopped suddenly, and smiled at his best friend for a second. _My article got picked up! Official voice!_ He exchanged fist-bumps with the shorter man, before turning to Imayoshi and tackling him in a flying jump.

"I'm so glad ya could benefit from our misfortune," he said with a snarky grin. Mitobe's mouth tried to form a frown, but in the excitement, laughter welled up. He leaned forward and put his palms on Imayoshi's cheeks and kissed him. Imayoshi froze for a moment, caught unawares by the unguarded expression of affection in front of Mitobe's best friend and high school crush.

"Come on, lovebirds," the cat-faced boy teased with a smile. "We've got practice and coach will make us do triple drills if he thinks we're slacking."

* * *

A/N: If you don't know who Bat and Pacifist are, you may enjoy reading Gentlemen, Place Your Bets where Mitobe first meets Imayoshi.


End file.
